The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-11

Special to the Indianapolis Journa1.
WASHINGTON, Sept 10.-The presence Of the
Intern ational Medical Congress in this city this
week has developed great many queer traits
in the female character. Among the attractions
of the week has been an extensive and interest
ing exhibition of physicians and surgeons sup
plies. The large drill hall Of the Washington
Light Infantry Armory has been turned into an
exhibition room, and the PRINCIPAL drug and
chemical houses of the United States have
awaited themselves of the opportunity for cali
ing to the attention of the visiting medical men
the merits Of the particular articles in whick
they deal. Nearly every exhibitor has a
large supply Of small samples OF his
wares. These samples all for the
use of physicians, of course. But the
physicians are not the only ones who carry off
armsful of spoils In fact one of the heaviest
dispensers Of the small sample packages says
that not more than twenty per cent of the sam
Piles 60 to the doctors. The exhibition has been
open to the public, and every who desires to
do SO may enter the hall and walk about among
the drugs for an hour or more. Throughout the
week the hall has been filled from morning until
night with constantly moving crowd. There
never less than hundred women in the
room at time. and the way they 60 for the SAM
pies is a curious commentary upon the sex.
just at the main entrance to the armory is q
stand upon which wellknown firm has ar
rayed an attractive display OF compound known
as s.bovinine." They have several thousand bot
ties which are labeled physicians samples"
The women seem to have strong fancy for So-
whine, and there is scarcely in five wholeaves
the hall without bottle in her satchel or her
pocket. The professional Sample gatherer makes
several trips each day. She takes anything that.
is offered. In the middle of the hall is the dis
play of a big pill-manufacturing house. Mrs.
Sampler heads in that direction and inquiries
about the composition of one variety. Before
she leaves she has tasted three different kinds,
and she bears away with her a whole OF
samples. They of no earthly use to her, but
she must have them. Then she discovers that there
are great many samples of different kinds of
plasters in another part Of the room. She
heads in that direction, and comes away
with a box full of all sorts. Over
on the south side is huge pyramid of bottles
containing transparent fluid of remarkable
purity. 1t proves to be exhibited by Cincin-
natl house, and is substance called vege-
table glycerine. The young man in charge of
the table is from the West. and is lily" He
keeps all his sample bottles hidden, and only
brings out one when physician wearing the
prescribed badge takes enough interest to make
some INQUIRIES as to the new preparation. One
old lady whose arms were fairly loaded down
with spoils made up her mind that she would
have bottle of glycerine. She began the as
sault by saying that she never knew before that
glycerine could be made out Of beets, turnips
and such. She always suppos ed that hog fat
was the only substance from which the valuable
remedy could be produced. She talked so Fast
and so long that she finally captured the fly
young man and left him with two bottles in her
pocket
just in the rear of the glycerine exhibit is the
vaseline table. Everyone has learned that vase
line is wonderful preparation of common PEI
troleum OIL But very few people have any idea
of the wide scope with which it Is filing in the
pharmacopeia. 1t is well known that the prod
net of petroleum, which is commonly called vas.
eline has wonderful penetrating properties.
For this it is of great value all forms of
ointment, and it has been used in this connection
for q great many years. But it is only within
the past few weeks that the discovery has been
made that it can be used in the place of alcohol
in extracting the essential oils of nearly all
plants. In the exhibit, this week, there are a
number of new combinations of vaseline. all Of
which have attracted the attention of the medi-
cal men. Soaps, pomades, ointments, cold cream,
cosmetics, and even candies. the base of
which is this product of petroleum, have been
known for long time. But not until this exhi-
bition was opened was there any general know
ledge that solid extracts of jasmine, roses. GER
aniums and OF her sweet-scented flowers could
be found in this form. The exhibit shows, too,
that opium pepper, mustard, tobacco ginger
and hundred other drugs can be combined
with vaseline. 1t the opinion of many ply
sicians. expressed in the hail. that only the be-
ginning of the uses to which petroleum may be
brought in the practice of medicine has yet been
discovered. At this table the experienced
gatherer OF samples reaps rich harvest. There
are SO many preparations put up in convenient
form that the persistent woman is enabled to
carry away with her supply of valuable toilet
preparations which will last her family . long
time.
But it is not only the useful articles. ranging
from artificial baby food to porous plasters, that
the sampler carries away. All is fish that comes
to her net, and package of colocynth pills is
acceptable a sample of antiseptic cotton.
But it is In the liquids which drunk the
premises" that she finds the greatest delight. /
There are a dozen tables at which dispensed
many different fuida. One Of the female
visitors to the place on Wednesday drank three
glasses of different kinds of mineral water, q
cup of extract of beef. small glass OF orange
wine and a cup or cocoa. This did not satisfy
her thirst entirely and before leaving the hall
she succeeded in finding room for copious dose
OF extract of malt and liberal supply OF pressed
juice Of beef. That woman must have stom-
ach like ostrich. but she did not miss single
day in collecting samples, and her house doubt
less represents small drug store.
One part of the exhibition is exceedingly in
teresting from a scientific standpoint That is
the evidence which is seen everywhere of the
attempt by manufacturers to produce antiseptic
preparations The prevention of blood poison
ing is of the subjects which has been agi- I
tating the best physicians for years. The old
days when rusty instruments were left un-
cieansed from the time of operation until +
another was TO be performed have passed away
The physician and the surgeon of to-day are
equally careful to adopt every means available
to prevent tho poisoning of the blood and to
this reason the who supply the
needs of the faculty constantly
striving to produce compounds which will
kill the microbes and prevent contagion. Anti
septic cotton and linen for dressing amputations
and fractures, antiseptic washes TO Kill DIS
ease germs, and antiseptic SPRAYS for similar
purposes are displayed in all parts Of the hall
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